How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt A Novel

HARPER’S DAD IS getting a divorce from her beloved stepmother, Jane. Even worse, Harper has lost her stepsister, Tess; the divorce divides them. Harper decides to escape by joining a volunteer program to build a house for a family in Tennessee who lost their home in a tornado. Not that she knows a thing about construction.

Soon she’s living in a funky motel and working long days in blazing heat with a group of kids from all over the country. At the site, she works alongside Teddy, the son of the family for whom they are building the house. Their partnership turns into a summer romance, complete with power tools. Learning to trust and love Teddy isn’t easy for Harper, but it’s the first step toward finding her way back home.

DANA REINHARDT is the author of A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life, Harmless, How to Build a House, The Things a Brother Knows, and The Summer I Learned to Fly. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two daughters. SUSAN REAGAN has ilustrated many children's books. Her work has appeared on greeting cards and in other media.

Author Residence: San Francisco, CA

Author Hometown: Los Angeles, CA SUSAN REAGAN has illustrated many children's books. Her work has appeared on greeting cards and in other media.Illustrator Residence: Cleveland, OHIllustrator Hometown: Cleveland, OH

BookPage

Reinhardt's smart, funny and poignant writing style strikes a chord of compassion and self-awareness as we follow this Los Angeles teen struggling to understand the complex relationships in her life: a loyal but faulty father, a loving but betrayed stepmother, an angry best friend/stepsister, a c...